Words from Hot Sails Maui

We are very pleased to announce that leading UK racer Jon White GBR-720 has signed for Hot Sails Maui (UK) for the 2012 season. Jon who has been at the forefront of the national and international raceboard circuit for a number of years has decided to change codes and compete on the challenging BSA circuit this year. As part of his training he has been putting in some time at West Kirby with plenty of input from team mate Martyn Ogier and has recently started an intensive training scheme aimed at adding bulk as the physical needs of a slalom racer are rather different from that of a raceboarder in light winds!

Jon is also sponsored by: Starboard, Black Project Fins & Dutton Law, you can follow his movements on Twitter (@jongbr720), he will be using the GPS together with our Hot Rod 97% Carbon masts.

We wish Jon the best of luck for the season and look forward to following his progress.

More on blog.hotsailsmaui.com

Hot Sails Maui GP2

Chris Freeman introduces Hot Sails Maui‘s all-new freerace sail, the GP2…

The idea of a more user-friendly version of a race sail is not new. I remember seeing the first of these sails hit the market some 20 years ago, at the time I was racing most weekends and being small I did consider a few options. In recent years such sails did fall out of favour but with the resurgence of slalom racing around the world it was not going to be too long before consumers were asking for something to go fast on that had the feel of a race sail but less of the fuss (and weight). In recent months I have seen lots of forum posts around the globe asking whether they should choose race or freerace for their new sail and what the trade offs are. Today we are introducing our all-new freerace sail the GP2 which is derived from the GPS.  I asked Tom and Jeff the designers at Hot Sails Maui for their comments on this new direction.

Hot Sails Maui GP2

What is the design concept of the GP2?

The GP2 fits in the gap between the Speed Demon which is an easy handling no-cam flatwater sail and the high performance PWA racing GPS. It has more power and performance than the Speed Demon but remains easy to use and rig. It has a deep draft with lots of twist to balance power and control. The GP2 (like the GPS) is supplied with two sets of cams for either RDM or SDM masts. The sleeve is as narrow as we could make I so it does not become a sea anchor when dropped in the water!

Hot Sails Maui GP2

Who is it aimed at?

It is a freerace sail for the weekend racer who wants maximum performance from an easy to handle sail. It is super light, this helps greatly when gybing for those of us who have not quite mastered the art. Go fast with minimum effort. Those smaller sailors or new racers will benefit from this sail around the course, we must remember that slalom is not all about the straight line and most races are won (or lost) at the marks.

Hot Sails Maui GP2

What materials are used?

The sail is built to be light but we did not want to compromise too much in terms of durability for which Hot Sails Maui is known so we chose a combination of 4, 5, and 7mm films. The 7.3m GP2 weighs in at 5.4Kk which is 1.01kg or 16% lighter than the GPs version.

Hot Sails Maui GP2

Specs:

When will it be available in the shops?

The first of the GP2s are available for pre-order via the UK importer Anton at MDE Distribution – www.mde-dist.com

Hot Sails Maui GP2

How fast it it?

It is very fast! We tested against our GPS and other full race sails during the 2011 Maui Slalom Series and it comes very close to matching the speed on a reach. The only areas it looses out to a full race sail is in upwind performance and stability at the extreme high end of the range. In light winds or comfortable conditions many riders actually preferred the easy handling of the GP2 over the GPS.

Anything else?

For most people this hassle-free version of a race sail will be more fun to sail and will be more competitive due to it’s light weight and easy handling, it is all about having the right tools for the job which suit your sailing location, desires and ability.

More at www.hotsailsmaui.com

Dax Barker has been honing his skills again. In this video he makes the transition from wide board with a small center fin to a narrow single fin wave board. The board was given to me by Japanese sailor Hisao Nakasato who had it made for his big Jaws photo day. It is a narrow gun only about 60l and only the back foot strap needed to be moved forward for Dax’s small stature.The narrow width forces the board to track really well, something he needs since his weight does not push wider boards into the water so they just want to slide sideways.

More at blog.hotsailsmaui.com

Julien Mas is sponsored by: Hot Sails Maui (www.hotsailsmaui.com) and Patrik boards – you can follow his progress on his blog: www.julienmas-f7.blogspot.com

Fede LaCroce caught on the FireLight by Jimmie Hepp

Chris Freeman of Hot Sails Maui introduces ‘the world’s lightest production wave sail’…

The much talked about Hot Sails Maui FireLIGHT recently started shipping from the factory and will be hitting the beaches around the world in the coming weeks. We have been using them in Hawaii for a little while now so thought that it was about time to give you some more information.

Chris Freeman spinning his 4.5m, 2.6kg FireLIGHT at Ho’okipa this summer, by Jimmie Hepp

What is the design concept of the Firelight?

The idea was very simple – build a sail as light as possible using the best materials available with absolutely nothing on it that was not essential. No compromise. Weighing in at just 2.7kg for a 4.7m this is the lightest production wave sail on the market!

Who is it aimed at?

It is a high performance sail for people who want to push the boundaries of their sailing. The lightness just redefines what is possible.

What materials are used?

The key materials are the ODL09 Technora used in the patches and the super light C1295 laminate from Dimension-Polyant. The Technora is incredibly tough and super low stretch – it is also scary expensive! The ODL09 costs 5 times as much as our normal laminate. We only use it in the critical high load areas of the patches so it is totally worth it. The C1295 has a thin polyester film reinforced with both a scrim and yarns. This makes it tough and low stretch but really, really light. All our laminates are made in the USA and are of exceptionally high quality.

Specifications

When will it be available?

The Firelight is now shipping from the factory and will be available in the UK soon; pre-orders are currently being taken. Please contact Anton at MDE for more information and pricing.

How will it change your wavesailing?

It will be transformational! You will pull moves you have never done before, sail in a wider range of conditions and generally just have more fun!

More at www.hotsailsmaui.com

Hot Sails Maui FireLight

After a month of nervous waiting the second part is finally here. Again, windsurf action and not so much lifestyle, but hey… that doesn’t matter.

The clip shows the feeling I get when the wind starts, the nervous feeling and the desire to go to the water immediately.

I scored some good days at Amstelmeer. I used th Hotsails Bolt 4.7 and Patrik Diethelm Freestyle 99.

Enjoy this clip and stay tuned for part 3!

Edit: Paul Zeper

Filming: Jochem Zielstra / Francine Zeper / Nicky Lam / Ralph Hagelaar / Paul Zeper

Camera: GoPro HD / Canon hv 30

Programs: Adobe premiere pro / after effects

Music: Pretty Lights – Hot Like Dimes

paulh115.blogspot.com